Slidable coupling components for shelf management systems

ABSTRACT

Self-fronting merchandise pusher systems. Numerous products in a store are merchandised on shelves and spring-biased pushers are used to urge products toward the front edge of the shelf on which the products are displayed and stored. Each pusher is generally mounted on a track, and each pusher track is generally positioned between two divider walls or between a divider wall and an end wall. Each pusher is independently biased towards the front of the shelf. The system provides an improved apparatus for coupling any of the longitudinal members, such as the pusher tracks, divider walls or integrated divider/pusher tracks, to the shelf-mounting member. The shelf-mounting member forms an alignment track for selective and slidable coupling with the longitudinal members. The coupling is designed to resist sliding when the coupling is under torque.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a self-fronting merchandise pushersystem having longitudinal members, such as a divider wall and a pushertrack, that are slidably coupled to a shelf-mounting member.

2. Background of the Related Art

Numerous products sold in retail stores are displayed and stored ongondola shelves. There are several designs of self-fronting pushersystems that push rows of products within channels toward the front ofthe shelf near the aisle. These self-fronting pusher systems typicallyinvolve divider walls that form product channels therebetween, and aspring-urged pusher track with a pusher adapted to contact the lastproduct in the row and urge the row forward in the channel defined bythe divider walls. The divider walls and the pusher tracks are generallysecured to the shelf using a shelf-mounting member secured along thefront edge of the shelf.

The pusher serves to keep the product “fronted” at the front shelf edgeagainst the shelf-mounting member so that the product is easier for theconsumer to see. This system also provides a more organized andaesthetically pleasing array of products on the shelf and makesinventory and restocking of products easier.

Existing merchandising pusher systems, such as those disclosed in U.S.Pat. No. 5,730,320 issued to David and U.S. Pat. No. 5,131,563 issued toYablans, include a segregated horizontal space, usually separated into aplurality of channels using dividing walls, and a pusher track with apusher positioned between each pair of dividing walls. The pushingsurface on the pusher is generally a rigid vertical plane urged forwardby a coiled spring. Typically, the pushing surface is oriented in aplane parallel to a front retaining wall at the front of the shelf toretain the product on the shelf. The front retaining wall generallykeeps the pushed products from spilling from the front edge of theshelf.

Certain products, such as toothbrushes, for example, are often sold inpackaging with a height that is several times the width. Other productsmay have a more squared cross-section, and still others may have alonger, flatter cross-section. Consequently, it may be necessary todisplay many of each of several shapes and sizes of products on a shelf.As a result, a pusher system should accommodate a variety of packageshapes and sizes, and be flexible enough to allow repositioning of thedivider walls and pusher tracks on the shelf without requiring that theproducts be completely removed from the shelf for repositioning of thedivider walls and pusher tracks, followed by replacement of the productsonto the shelf.

While slidable divider walls and pusher tracks may facilitatereorganization of the shelf without the necessity of removing theproducts, the inadvertent sliding of the couplings between theshelf-mounting member and the divider walls or the pusher tracks isundesirable because unwanted movement of the divider walls or the pushertracks can result in disruption of fronting of the product on the shelfor interference between products in adjacent channels formed by pairs ofadjacent dividing walls. As a result, many self-fronting systems includenon-sliding or sliding-resistant couplings that prevent or resistsliding of the dividing wall or the pusher track relative to theshelf-mounting member. For example, these non-sliding or slidingresistant couplings often employ rearward protruding teeth disposed onthe shelf-mounting member for engaging with frontward protruding teethdisposed on the divider wall or the pusher track. Other systems employ abroad tongue and groove coupling, often having an interference fit, forfirm gripping of the divider wall or pusher track to the shelf-mountingmember to resist sliding. Still other self-fronting systems includedouble tongue and groove couplings that provide excessive gripping inthe coupling between the shelf-mounting member and the divider wall orpusher track to prevent sliding. Generally, these systems requireelevating the rearward-most end of the divider wall or pusher track fromits normal position on the shelf in order to release the coupling andallow movement or adjustment of the divider wall or pusher track.Accordingly, it is necessary for store personnel to remove some or allof the product from the shelf before repositioning rows. The processmust be repeated until the desired position is obtained, therebyconsuming a great deal of time and effort to manage the product.

Therefore, there is a need for a self-fronting merchandise pusher systemthat allows smooth and controlled movement of the divider walls orpusher tracks relative to the shelf-mounting member without removal ofthe shelved product and without the use of excessive force on theshelving system components. It would be desirable if this system wouldalso prevent unwanted movement of the divider walls or pusher tracksrelative to the shelf-mounting member.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a self-fronting merchandise pushersystem for use in displaying and dispensing product in retail stores.The system includes a transverse shelf-mounting member securable to atop front edge of a shelf and a plurality of longitudinal membersselected from divider walls, pusher tracks, and combinations thereof.The invention incorporates spring-biased pushers that are used to urgeproduct toward the front edge of the retail shelf. The width of thepusher corresponds generally to the width of the narrowest product to bemanaged and fronted by the system. The removable divider walls extendlongitudinally and vertically on either side of each pusher, or oppositea pusher from an end wall.

The present invention provides an improved coupling that allows onlydeliberate and controlled movement of a merchandise divider wall or amerchandise pusher track relative to a shelf-mounting member. Theapparatus comprises unique coupling elements, such as a tongue andgroove arrangement, with limited contact between the coupling elementswhen the coupling is in its secured or attached position. The tongue (orthe groove) may be integrally formed onto or near the end of thelongitudinal elements (i.e., divider wall and merchandise pusher track),and the corresponding groove (or the tongue) may be integrally formedonto the shelf-mounting member that is secured along the top front edgeof the shelf.

The coupling elements have contact surfaces therebetween that preferablycomprise different materials. The physical design and tolerances of thecoupling, in combination with the different materials, allows thecoupling with limited points of contact to resist inadvertent slidingduring normal shopping or restocking use, yet readily provides slidingbetween the tongue and groove members of the coupling when a deliberateand directed sliding force is applied to the divider wall or pushertrack in a collinear direction along the length of the self-frontingmember in order to reposition the pusher track or to modify the channelthat provides for the product rows. The coupling is designed to resistsliding when the coupling experiences torque, typically meaning that thedivider wall or pusher track has been displaced out of its perpendicularrelationship with the shelf-mounting member to which it is coupled.However, the coupling permits sliding of the longitudinal members whenthere is substantially no torque on the coupling, such as when thedivider wall or pusher track is generally perpendicular to theshelf-mounting member and a sliding force is applied to the coupling.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

So that the above recited features and advantages of the presentinvention can be understood in detail, a more particular description ofthe invention, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to theembodiments thereof that are illustrated in the appended drawings. It isto be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typicalembodiments of this invention and are, therefore, not to be consideredlimiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equallyeffective embodiments.

FIG. 1 is a user perspective view of a self-fronting merchandise pushersystem having an improved coupling for securing the divider walls andpusher track to the shelf mounting member.

FIG. 2 is a user perspective view of the same self-fronting merchandisepusher system illustrating the divider walls angularly displaced in amanner that prevents the divider walls and pusher track from slidingrelative to the shelf mounting member.

FIG. 3 is a partially cross-sectional, side perspective view of a tongueand groove coupling, in accordance with the invention, before thedivider wall and shelf-mounting member are coupled.

FIG. 4 is a front elevation view of a divider wall being coupled to ashelf-mounting member in the self-fronting merchandise system.

FIG. 5 is a partially cross-sectional side view of the tongue and groovecoupling of FIG. 3 after the divider wall and shelf-mounting member arecoupled.

FIG. 6 is a schematic bottom view of two couplings illustrating how thecoupling of a longitudinal member resists sliding under torque, but ismanually slidable under forces applied along the line of the alignmenttrack.

FIG. 7 is a partially cross-sectional, side perspective view of a tongueand groove coupling having the groove in the shelf-mounting member andthe tongue in the divider wall.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

One embodiment of the present invention is shown in the attacheddrawings. It should be understood that the self-fronting merchandisesystem may be configured in various manners that all serve the purposeof the invention. The primary purpose of the invention is to save timeand labor in adjusting rows of merchandise on store gondola shelves. Theapparatus of the present invention allows movement of divider walls andpusher tracks into a desired alignment along the shelf without requiringremoval of merchandise managed by these devices, while preventingunwanted movement and misalignment of rows of merchandise that canresult from unwanted or inadvertent movement of divider walls and pushertracks.

The present invention uses two ways to resist sliding contact in thecoupling between the longitudinal members and the elongated couplingelement of the shelf-mounting member. The first way is by physicalshape: the coupling is designed to cause and rapidly increase physicalinterference between the longitudinal members and the shelf-mountingmember whenever the longitudinal member is angularly displaced from itssubstantially perpendicular relationship with the shelf-mounting member.For example, the inwardly protruding surfaces of the rails that definethe groove on the end of a longitudinal member is designed to forciblyengage or “bite” the alignment track formed in shelf-mounting memberupon angular displacement of the longitudinal member. The groove definedby the inwardly protruding surfaces of the rails permits slidingrelative to an alignment track tongue when the longitudinal member is ina perpendicular configuration, but the groove will physically interferewith the upwardly protruding tongue of the shelf-mounting member whenthe longitudinal member is displaced from its perpendicular relationshiprelative to the shelf-mounting member (also referred to as a “front railmember”). The physical interference causes a biting action or highfriction that resists sliding contact.

The second way to resist sliding contact is by incorporating dissimilarmaterials in the coupling elements. Many combinations of materialsprovide a high coefficient of friction there between, and theselectively slidable coupling of the present invention is achieved usingthis materials selection approach. The materials from which theshelf-mounting member and the longitudinal members are made are designedto provide for smooth and controlled sliding movement of the coupling.For example, but not by way of limitation, styrene is generally a hardplastic material that is often used in making model cars and otherproducts. Styrene will slide reasonably well on styrene, and styrene onstyrene is therefore deemed to have a generally low coefficient offriction that would more readily permit sliding contact between twocomponents where both are made of styrene. However, in order to enhancethe biting effect of the physical interference described above, thepresent invention uses a second material that provides for a relativelyhigher coefficient of friction to better resist sliding contact when theinwardly protruding gripping surfaces of the groove bite into the neckof the tongue.

The materials selection should maintain certain objectives such as afavorable coefficient of friction to prevent unwanted sliding of thelongitudinal members relative to the shelf-mounting member, low costs,suitability for contact with consumers, wear resistance and otherfactors. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or a modified polyethyleneterephthalate copolymer (such as a glycol-modified PET or “PETg”,available from Eastman Chemical Company under the trademark Provista®)is a good material for use in the shelf-mounting member in combinationwith styrene or acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) in thelongitudinal members. PETg offers excellent transparency, clarity andhigh gloss for use with shelf-mounting members that include a display,and it does not whiten when stressed. This offers the user a visuallyclear product, which makes it good for use in shelf-mounting membersthat are integral with a front shelf display. PETg also providestoughness with flexibility and impact resistance for providingdurability, good chemical resistance, and is approved by the FDA(standard 21 CFR 177, 1315) for contact with foods so that it can beused for virtually all shelf applications. Finally, PETg provides goodUV resistance, with the use of UV grades that are available. Mostimportantly, however, PETg is softer than styrene or ABS in order toenhance the biting effect between the opposing coupling elements.Examples of other materials that are suitable for use in theshelf-mounting member include, without limitation, butyrate,polycarbonate, and other polyesters.

FIG. 1 is a user perspective view of a self-fronting merchandise pushersystem having an improved coupling 10 for securing longitudinal members,such as divider walls 40 and a pusher track 30, to the shelf mountingmember 24. The shelf mounting member 24 is itself secured to the shelf26 in some manner, such as with screws or clips. The pusher track 30 ispositioned between two adjacent divider walls 40. Typically, thedistance between adjacent divider walls 40 is adjusted to the width of aproduct to be received between the two divider walls. The pusher track30 is typically positioned midway between these two divider walls 40 inorder for the pusher 32 to apply a forward directed push against theback and center of the product. The term “product” or “the product,” asused herein, is intended to encompass one or more units of an item thatis on display or for sale.

While the design of the pusher track 30, including the pusher 32 and acoil spring (not shown), is an important element of a self-frontingmerchandise pusher system, the present invention deals primarily withthe coupling of the pusher track 30 and divider wall 40 to the shelfmounting member 24. Accordingly, the invention is not limited to anyparticular pusher track, pusher, coil spring, or other aspect of urginga product forward. Explanations of pusher track designs and operationsmay be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,730,320 and 5,131,563, which patentsare incorporated by reference herein.

As shown in FIG. 1, the divider walls 40, as well as the pusher track30, may be slid in either direction (right or left as shown) along theshelf mounting member by manually applying a force along the couplingelement 22 that is part of the shelf mounting member 24. In this manner,the spacing of the divider walls 40 and the pusher track 30 can bequickly adjusted. It should be recognized that the shelf 26 may includeany number of additional divider walls 40 and pusher tracks 30 in orderto manage products over some or all of the shelf space. Typically, aself-fronting merchandise pusher system will have divider walls andpusher tracks disposed in an alternating pattern that begins and endswith a divider wall, although a specialized end wall may be used at theextreme ends of the system. However, nothing prevents multiple pushertracks from being used side by side, for example to push forward a wideor heavy product.

FIG. 2 is a user perspective view of the same self-fronting merchandisepusher system illustrating the divider walls 40 being angularlydisplaced in either direction (as shown by arrows 38 and 39) in a mannerthat the divider walls 40, representative of any of the longitudinalmembers, resist sliding along the coupling element 22 of the shelfmounting member 24. It should be recognized that while the position of auser's hands 51, 53 is the same as shown in FIG. 1, the manual forceand/or other forces applied to the dividers 40, as shown in FIG. 2, hasapparently applied a torque to the coupling such that the dividers 40have been angularly displaced. Such torque may similarly come fromforces acting against the dividers 40 at a point some distance from thecoupling 10. The forces that cause torque may unintentionally occurduring routine placement or withdrawal of products from the shelf, inwhich case the coupling will remain secured to its position, but mayallow the divider to flex or tilt in one direction or another. While thedivider walls 40 and the pusher tracks 30 may experience differentforces during use, it is preferred that the pusher track 30 be designedwith the same type of coupling as the divider walls 40, so that angulardisplacement in either direction would cause the pusher track to resistsliding. Still, many of the benefits of the present invention would berealized if only the divider walls included the present coupling.

FIG. 3 is a partially cross-sectional, side perspective view of acoupling 10, in accordance with the invention. The coupling 10 is shownhaving coupling elements in the form of a tongue and a groove forsecuring the divider wall and shelf-mounting member together. Thedivider wall 40 has a base 42. The bottom side 12 of the base 42 has aslidable coupling element, such as groove 14, that runs generallytransverse in the longitudinal divider wall, so that groove 14 isdirected along the shelf mounting member 24 when the divider wall 40 ispositioned to extend between two rows of product (not shown). A matingelongated coupling element, such as tongue 22, is part of theshelf-mounting member 24 that runs along the front edge of the shelf 26.The tongue 22 extends upward from the base of the member 24 and runsgenerally parallel to the shelf mounting member 24 to form an alignmenttrack.

FIG. 4 is a front elevation view of a divider wall 40 being installed inthe self-fronting merchandise system. Once the tongue 22 and the groove14 coupling elements are aligned, with the groove immediately above andparallel to the tongue, then the divider wall 40 is pushed downward sothat the groove securely receives the tongue. Preferably, the tongue andgroove fit tight enough that it may be difficult in some situations tocouple the members with a purely translational downward motion. Rather,the divider 40 is more easily coupled by first pressing firmly downwardon one side of the divider base 42 directly above the tongue 22 andgroove 14 (for example with the thumb of the right hand in the directionof arrow 41), and then pressing firmly downward on the other side of thedivider base 42 directly above the tongue 22 and groove 14 (for examplewith the thumb of the left hand in the direction of arrow 43).

Similarly, the coupling 10 may fit tight enough that it will bedifficult in some situations to de-couple or remove the longitudinalmembers from the alignment track with a purely translational upwardmotion. Furthermore, such an upward pulling could damage the connectionbetween the shelf-mounting member 24 and the shelf 26. Accordingly, itis preferred to remove the divider by applying a sideways force to thedivider wall 40 (for example pulling the top of the divider in thedirection of arrow 45) and then lifting.

FIG. 5 is a partially cross-sectional side view of the tongue and groovecoupling 10 of FIG. 3 after the divider wall 40 and shelf-mountingmember 24 have been coupled together in their normal operatingrelationship. Here, the tongue 22 is operationally secured and receivedwithin the groove 14.

The construction of the coupling 10 is important to its properfunctioning. The groove 14 is defined by opposing rails 16 that flex toengage the tongue 22. The degree of flexibility exhibited by the rails16 is a result of both the plastic composition of the divider wall 40and the thickness of the rails. In the preferred embodiment, a reliefchannel is formed on the back side of each of the rails 14 in order tofacilitate flexing of the plastic rails. The optimum thickness of therails partly depends upon the flexibility of the plastic compositionselected for the divider walls, but determining an appropriate thicknessis within the capabilities of one skilled in the art of manufacturingplastic components in light of the foregoing disclosure. The rails 16should be dimensioned to maintain a gripping surface in contact with theneck portion of the tongue 22 for sliding resistance.

The tongue 22 is also made of a plastic composition, preferably adifferent, softer plastic composition than the longitudinal members asdiscussed above, and preferably extends upward only a short distance inorder to prevent the tongue from flexing or bending during coupling,decoupling or normal operational use. It is highly preferred, but not anabsolute necessity, that the tongue 22 include an enlarged or bulbousdistal end or head and that the groove 14 have a cooperating profile. Inaccordance with this preferred embodiment and other embodimentsconsistent with the invention, the primary contact between the tongueand the groove may occur along the necked portion 17 of the tongue 22.In fact, a full-contact or tight fit between the tongue and groove inthe region of the bulbous end of the tongue could cause negativeeffects, such as constant stress on the tongue and groove elements dueto small variations in the dimensions of the parts. Rather, it ispreferred that the groove have dimensions that allow for a small gaparound the bulbous end of the tongue.

FIGS. 6(A) and (B) are schematic bottom views of two couplings 10illustrating how the coupling resists sliding under torque, but ismanually slidable under forces applied along the line of the couplingmember 22 forming an alignment track on the shelf-mounting member 24. InFIG. 6(A), the base 42 of a divider wall or other longitudinal member isunder no appreciable torque and sits substantially perpendicular to thecoupling element forming the alignment track (tongue 22) of theshelf-mounting member 24. Accordingly, the rails 16 of the groove gripthe neck 17 of the tongue 22, but only under the forces of the flexedrails. By firmly pushing on the divider wall base 42 near the coupling10 and in a direction along the shelf mounting member 24 (See either ofthe arrows 25), the base 42 will slide along the alignment track. Havinga bulbous distal end on the tongue 22 prevents the tongue and groovefrom coming apart unintentionally during sliding.

In FIG. 6(B), a force (See arrow 29) is applied against some portion ofthe divider wall (not necessarily the divider base as shown) at a pointrearward of the coupling 10. This force puts the coupling in torque,displaces the divider wall away from its substantially perpendicularposition by some angle 27 and causes the rails 16 be pressed against theneck 17 with a force much larger than the mere flexing of the rails, asin FIG. 6(A). Now the rails 16 apply a force against the neck 17 that isproportional to the force 29 multiplied by the lever arm of the force(i.e., the distance from the coupling to the point where the force isapplied). Because the amount of friction between two surfaces isproportional to the force applied between the surfaces, the force 29creates so much friction that the coupling does not slide. By selectingthe appropriate plastic compositions, the coefficient of friction isincreased so that the presence of torque on the coupling has asignificant and immediate effect on the ability to slide the components.Depending upon the softness of the materials and the magnitude of theforces, the torque may product a biting effect in which the edge of theharder coupling element digs into the softer coupling element to resistsliding.

It is recognized that extensive sliding of the components may tend towear away any small ridges or manufacturing artifacts that may existbetween the coupling elements, such as the tongue 22 and the groove 14,especially the gripping surface of the rails 16 or the neck 17. Thiswear will tend to be self-limiting, since any wear will lead to lowerflexing forces. Still, regardless of wear, torque applied against thecoupling will still cause a high degree of friction that will resistsliding.

FIG. 7 is a partially cross-sectional, side perspective view of a tongueand groove coupling similar to the couplings of FIGS. 3-6, but having agroove 60 forming part of the shelf-mounting member 24 and a tongue 62forming part of the divider wall 40. The design characteristicsdiscussed above for the tongue 22 and groove 14 are still relevant tothe design of FIG. 7. However, the base 42 must provide sufficient roomon either side of the tongue 62 in order for the rails 64 of the grooveelement 60 to extend upward and receive the tongue 62.

Generally speaking, it is preferable to make the divider walls 40 andthe pusher tracks 30 from a plastic that is more rigid than the plasticused to make the shelf-mounting member 24. Rigid plastics generally havelower coefficients of friction and it is generally desirable to have lowfriction within the pusher track and low friction between the productsand either the pusher track or the divider walls. A more flexibleplastic can be used to make the shelf-mounting member, since the onlypoint of friction for the shelf-mounting member during normal use is thecoupling of the present invention. Accordingly, the composition of theshelf-mounting member can be specifically chosen to accommodate anappropriate amount of friction within the coupling. As discussed above,it is also desirable for the shelf-mounting member to be clear so thatthe full front of the product can be seen through the front wall of theshelf-mounting member.

It will be understood from the foregoing description that variousmodifications and changes may be made in the preferred embodiment of thepresent invention without departing from its true spirit. It is intendedthat this description is for purposes of illustration only and shouldnot be construed in a limiting sense. The scope of this invention shouldbe limited only by the language of the following claims.

1. A system for self-fronting merchandise comprising: an elongatedshelf-mounting member adapted for being secured along the front edge ofa shelf and having at least one fitting adapted for coupling to alongitudinal member such as a divider wall or a track having a pusher;an elongated ridge of a first material protruding generally upwardlyfrom the shelf-mounting member, the ridge having a cross-section with agenerally bulbous head supported by a relatively slender stem andadapted for being received into a groove formed of a second material anddisposed on the end of the longitudinal member for securing thelongitudinal member into a generally perpendicular relationship with theshelf-mounting member, wherein the shelf-mounting member is made from apolymer composition that is different than the composition of either thedivider wall or the track.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein thefirst material is styrene.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein thesecond material is a polyester.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein thepolyester is selected from polyethylene terephthalate, a modifiedpolyethylene terephthalate, and polycarbonate.
 5. The apparatus of claim1, wherein the groove does not contact the bulbous head of the ridge ona substantial portion of the surface of the bulbous head.
 6. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the shelf-mounting member is extruded. 7.A self-fronting merchandise system, comprising: an elongated transverseshelf-mounting member having a base suitable for being secured along atop front edge of a shelf, a front wall extending upward from the basesuitable for aligning merchandise, and an elongated coupling elementextending upward from the base and running along the length of theshelf-mounting member to form an alignment track; and a plurality oflongitudinal members selected from divider walls, pusher tracks andcombinations thereof, each longitudinal member having a proximal endthat includes a slidable coupling element that is selectively securableto the alignment track at any point along the length of the alignmenttrack; wherein the composition of the elongate coupling element and thecomposition of the slidable coupling element are selected to producesufficient friction between the secured coupling elements such that eachlongitudinal member is slidable along the length of the alignment trackunder a force that is substantially collinear with the alignment track,yet each longitudinal member resists sliding under a force that createstorque between the longitudinal member and the alignment track.
 8. Theapparatus of claim 7, wherein the longitudinal members are injectionmolded.
 9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the longitudinal membersare made from styrene.
 10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein theshelf-mounting member is extruded.
 11. The apparatus of claim 7, whereinthe shelf-mounting member is made from a polyester.
 12. The apparatus ofclaim 11, wherein the polyester is selected from polyethyleneterephthalate, a modified polyethylene terephthalate, and polycarbonate.13. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the elongated coupling element isa tongue and the slidable coupling element is a groove.
 14. Theapparatus of claim 13, wherein the tongue has a bulbous distal end, andwherein the groove receives the bulbous distal end and provides a gaparound the bulbous end.